Marvel has a director for 'Doctor Strange' -- REPORT

Marvel Studios just lost a director forAnt-Man, but it appears they’ve found a director to bring another beloved off-mainstream superhero to the big screen. Variety reports that Marvel is looking to sign Scott Derrickson to make Doctor Strange, a film about the Master of the Mystic Arts and his battles with various magical, psychedelically-dressed villains. Derrickson is a horror director best known for Sinister and The Exorcism of Emily Rose, plus the upcoming Deliver Us from Evil (a.k.a. “the movie with the scary stuffed owl.”) Derrickson also directed Keanu Reeves’ The Day The Earth Stood Still.

Not much is known about the Strange movie, although Marvel head honcho Kevin Feige is an avowed fan of the character. As Feige told EW’s Anthony Breznican last May, “He’s a great standalone character. And that world of pure magic, we haven’t done yet.” Indeed, you could anticipate that Doctor Strange is an attempt to expand the Marvel Cinematic Universe into new genre territory, much like this summer’s space-faring Guardians of the Galaxy. Derrickson’s role as director could imply that the film will be more horror-tinged.

Marvel had no comment on Derrickson’s role in the production, so expect him to come onstage with the full Doctor Strange cast next month at Comic-Con. The question is: Since Josh Brolin and Vin Diesel are already in Guardians, who’s going to play Dormammu? Oh also, we all need to agree on a pronunciation of “Dormammu,” otherwise this’ll be “Thay-nose vs. Than-oss” all over again.